BCHS promotes safe teen driving, hoping to earn concert

October 18, 2013

By KAITLYN NAPLES
STAFF WRITER
Earlier this year Gina Gallo Reinhard, a foreign languages teacher at Bristol Central High School, registered the school to be part of an initiative with State Farm Insurance that promotes safe driving.
Starting on Oct. 18, and lasting one week, students at Bristol Central High School (BCHS) will be able to attend various events and activities that promote safe driving, during the week long “Celebrate My Drive campaign.”
“Safe driving is something every school should be pushing,” Gallo Reinhard said, adding this campaign is different than sharing upsetting stories with the students, and rather celebrates their driving when they “vote” or make the commitment to drive safely, meaning not texting and driving, and not driving under the influence, and just not driving distracted.
The school with the most votes gets a $100,000 prize and two concert events, one featuring Kelly Clarkson.
If Bristol Central wins, the funds will be split among various programs and projects, she said, as this is a “city-wide initiative.” A portion of the funds, 10 percent, will go towards a safe driving initiative in the city, and the remainder will be split among programs, she said, so they can keep growing and may not be supported in the Board of Education’s budget. For the week long activities, the entire school will be working together, along with the Bristol Police Department, All Star Driving in Bristol and the Think First Foundation.
Students, parents and community members are encouraged to vote for Bristol Central High School once per day, every day from Oct. 18 to Oct. 26. Participants must log onto www.celebratemydrive.com, and join the “celebration” on the home page and vote for Bristol Central.
Gallo Reinhard isn’t a stranger to participating in initiatives or trying to secure grant funding for her school. Earlier this year Bristol Central was the recipient of a $25,000 grant from an initiative hosted by Clorox, which went toward updates and maintenance to the school’s auditorium. She said 200 seats in the auditorium have been updated, and there are about 100 more left. The school also has been having a funding campaign from private donations, and has nearly $40,000 that can go towards maintaining the auditoriums current lighting system, and more.
Students at BCHS will participate in an assembly on Friday, Oct. 18, to kick off the Celebrate My Drive campaign. To vote, visit www.celebratemydrive.com and register to vote for BCHS.
Comments? Email knaples@BristolObserver. com.